September 10th 2024.
GameCentral gets its hands on a Lego set that pays tribute to one of the most beloved video game franchises of all time, The Legend Of Zelda. The set, which features the iconic Great Deku Tree from both Ocarina Of Time and Breath Of The Wild, has captured the attention of fans and gamers alike.
While Sony and Microsoft are grappling with the concept of multiformat gaming and its implications for console manufacturers, Nintendo seems to be unfazed by the current turmoil in the games industry. However, this is not entirely true as the company has expressed concerns about the increasing time it takes to develop new games and the possibility of making new acquisitions to assist with the next generation.
Despite this, Nintendo has no plans to release their games on any other format. Instead, they have focused on expanding the use of their intellectual property (IP) through various ventures such as the Nintendo World theme parks and the successful Super Mario Bros. movie. They have also been actively collaborating with other companies, leading to a profitable partnership with Lego. This has resulted in a wide range of Super Mario sets for kids and larger, more intricate sets, like a brick-built NES and a Super Mario 64 tribute, for adult fans.
Initially, there were doubts about whether Lego had the license to create toys based on other Nintendo properties. However, with the announcement of a third wave of Animal Crossing sets and plans for Mario Kart toys next year, it is clear that the partnership is going strong. And now, the first-ever Lego Zelda set has been released.
Many adult fans were disappointed that the Mario sets do not feature traditional Lego minifigures. Instead, they are all brick-built models or interactive Bluetooth figures of Mario, Luigi, and Peach. However, since the entire line was designed in collaboration with Nintendo to mimic the process of designing and playing the actual games, this decision makes sense. Additionally, the chunky 3D style of the figures is reminiscent of older games.
Unlike the Mario sets, which cater to a younger audience, the Zelda set is aimed at older fans with its 18+ rating. As a result, the set features 'proper' minifigures right from the start, including Link and Zelda from Breath Of The Wild and Link and Young Link from Ocarina Of Time. These figures are highly detailed, with unique hairpieces and a variety of authentic-looking swords and shields, including the iconic Hylian Shield and Master Sword.
The main model of the set is the Great Deku Tree, which may seem like an unusual choice at first glance. However, it is one of the few constants throughout most of the mainline Zelda games. As with many things in the franchise, the tree looks different in each game, so this set offers two alternative builds: one that resembles its appearance in Breath Of The Wild and another that recreates the design from Ocarina Of Time.
Interestingly, the Ocarina Of Time version does not have as large a base as the Breath Of The Wild one. This is a rather uncommon approach for modern Lego sets, but it does not require you to completely disassemble one version to build the other. Instead, you start by building about a third of the set, which includes the main base, a detachable base with the Master Sword plinth, and the beginning of the Deku Tree trunk. Only at this point do you have to decide which version you want to build.
Each version has its own unique bags of Lego pieces, so there will be some leftover pieces no matter which one you choose. However, the Ocarina Of Time model has more leftover pieces as it is smaller in size compared to the Breath Of The Wild version.
Which version you choose to build will likely depend on which game holds a special place in your heart. However, it is evident that the set considers the Breath Of The Wild version to be the primary one. This is not surprising as it is a massive model filled with Easter eggs and references. While we usually avoid spoilers in video game reviews, we must refrain from revealing any surprises in this set.
Some of the more obvious references include mushroom and flower elements on the main base, inspired by Breath Of The Wild. The instruction book even explains what each element is and its significance in the game. Additionally, there are tiny Korok models hidden within the tree's roots, and two secrets waiting to be discovered.
Inside the tree, at the back, you will find the bed, mushroom shop, and cooking pot from the game, all of which are intricately detailed and take a surprising amount of time to build. Even the top of the tree is filled with unexpected details, such as a fairy, Walton the Korok, and the answer to the riddle he poses in the game.
The main gimmick of the Breath Of The Wild model is that the eyebrows and mouth of the Great Deku Tree can be animated by pushing a lever at the back. This is a clever engineering feat by Lego and looks impressive when demonstrating the set to others.
The base with the Master Sword can be attached to the front, completing the scene from the game. Furthermore, there is an incredible brick-built version of Hestu, the giant Korok with his maracas. It looks just as good as a custom-made action figure, and the maracas even make a sound when shaken, thanks to a small Lego stud inside that mimics a Korok seed.
Regardless of which version of the Great Deku Tree you choose to build, Young Link's house is a separate structure that can exist independently. This is a thoughtful touch that caters to both Breath Of The Wild and Ocarina Of Time fans.
The Great Deku Tree, a beloved character and iconic location from the popular video game series The Legend of Zelda, has been brought to life in a whole new way - in Lego form. GameCentral recently had the opportunity to get their hands on the Lego set that recreates the Great Deku Tree from the classic games Ocarina of Time and Breath of the Wild.
While Sony and Microsoft continue to navigate the ever-changing landscape of multiformat gaming, Nintendo seems to be unfazed by the current turmoil in the industry. However, this is not entirely true as they have expressed concerns about the time it takes to develop new games and the possibility of needing to acquire new companies for the next generation. Despite this, Nintendo has no plans to release their games on other platforms, but instead, they have been expanding their intellectual property through ventures such as the Nintendo World theme parks and the successful Super Mario Bros. movie. They have also been actively collaborating with other companies, resulting in a lucrative partnership with Lego. This partnership has already produced a range of Super Mario sets for children, as well as larger sets like a brick-built NES and a Super Mario 64 tribute for adult fans.
Initially, there was some uncertainty about whether Lego had the license to create toys based on other Nintendo properties. However, the announcement of a third wave of Animal Crossing sets and upcoming Mario Kart toys has put those concerns to rest. And now, the first ever Lego set based on The Legend of Zelda has been released.
Some adult fans were disappointed that the Mario sets did not include traditional Lego minifigures, but rather brick-built models and interactive Bluetooth figures of Mario, Luigi, and Peach. However, since the entire line was designed in collaboration with Nintendo to mimic the process of designing and playing the actual games, this decision makes sense. Additionally, the sets often resemble the chunky 3D style of older games.
One of the standout features of the Zelda set is that it is aimed at older fans with its 18+ rating. As a result, the set includes 'proper' minifigures right off the bat - Link and Zelda from Breath of the Wild, as well as Link and Young Link from Ocarina of Time. The figures are incredibly well-designed, with unique hairpieces and a variety of authentic-looking swords and shields, including the iconic Hylian Shield and the all-important Master Sword.
The main model of the set is, of course, the Great Deku Tree - a surprising choice at first, until you realize that it is one of the few constants throughout most of the mainline games. As with most things in the world of Zelda, the Deku Tree's appearance varies in each game, and this set offers two alternative builds: one based on its appearance in Breath of the Wild and the other on its design from Ocarina of Time.
What makes this set unique is that it is not a typical modern Lego set where you have to completely disassemble one model to build the other. Instead, you first build about a third of the set, which includes the main base, a second detachable base with the Master Sword plinth, and the start of the Deku Tree trunk. Only then do you have to decide which version to build. Each version has several bags of Lego pieces that are unique to that model, so there will be some pieces left over regardless of which one you choose. However, there are more unused pieces for the Ocarina of Time model since it is smaller in size.
Deciding which model to build may depend on which game holds a special place in your heart, but it is evident that the set itself considers the Breath of the Wild version to be the primary one. This is understandable as it is a massive model filled with Easter eggs and references. Without spoiling any surprises, some of the more obvious ones include the main base of the tree being filled with mushrooms and flowers based directly on Breath of the Wild, with the instruction book pointing out their in-game effects. There are even tiny Korok models hidden throughout the set, along with two secrets in the roots of the tree.
The interior of the tree is just as detailed as the exterior, with a bed, mushroom shop, and cooking pot - all charmingly designed and time-consuming to build. Even the top of the tree is brimming with unexpected details, including a fairy and Walton the Korok, as well as the answer to the riddle he poses in the game.
The main gimmick of the Breath of the Wild model is that the eyebrows and mouth can move if you push a lever at the back - a clever feat of Lego engineering that is sure to impress when showing off the set to others. The base with the Master Sword attaches to the front, completing the iconic scene from the game. Additionally, there is a fantastic brick-built version of Hestu, the giant Korok with his maracas. It looks just as good as a custom-made action figure, and his maracas even make noise when shaken thanks to a cleverly placed Lego stud.
One of the unique aspects of this set is that Young Link's house can exist separately, regardless of which version you choose to build. This adds even more value to an already impressive set.
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